Cherries
by and you fall
Summary: Sakura thought she had boys all figured out. Blind dates, however, can easily prove her wrong. Slight Gaara/Sakura.


_I decided to take a try at GaaSaku... I love this pairing, but not as much as DeiSaku! Though I'll doubt I'll ever get a fic out with those two... Anyway, if anything seems OOC, I'm really sorry. Enjoy! Reviews are love ;)_

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Sakura, after all of her experience with males, believed that they could never truly be understood or predicted. After all, you could never tell what Sasuke was thinking, even in those "good" moods. Naruto always surprised her, when she thought he would undoubtedly fail. Lee wouldn't back off, even after she told him _not_ to leave flowers at her window, as she was allergic to daisies. Gaara seemed to be semi-human most of the time after that fight with Naruto, after nearly crushing her with that horrible smelling sand. And Kakashi, during their test, seemed like a sadistic freak, but she was always shocked at the devotion and affection he showed to his team. None of them were really normal, but what's normal in the world anyway?

Ino, her best friend, rival, and partner in crime, was behind her, fixing her kept-short, pale pink hair into some make-shift, shaggy bun that Ino told her was the height of fashion. Sakura, after all her endeavors, found vanity to be overrated, and just plain hazardous, but Ino still managed to look good while fighting and look good while off the training grounds. It was magic, and utterly unfair. Sakura was always sweaty and gross-feeling after training--and it was no _fair_!

"Tell me again why you're doing this?" she asked the blonde kunoichi, who was now finishing with her hair and running to the closet to find her an outfit.

"You've been lonely long enough," Ino explained, pulling out a white blouse and examining it. "I mean, we both know Sasuke likes _me_, and we also know you would never go out with Lee. So I came up with alternatives. Y'know, something to distract you."

This seemed weirdly kind, and it made Sakura suspicious. Crossing her arms over her chest, she eyes her friend as she nodded at the white blouse, and began searching for a suitable bottom.

"And who exactly is going to pick me up?" she asked, lips twisting into a frown as she thought of the possibilities. Certainly not Sasuke or Lee. She hoped to death it wasn't Naruto, Kiba or Neji. The guys were nice, and pretty cute, but her ears would suffer some damage with Naruto and Kiba, and she didn't want to discuss her destiny while trying to avoid Neji's creepy eyes. She would be uncomfortably tense if her date was Gaara, and that wasn't exactly something she liked.

"I snagged someone you'd never guess!" she sang, holding up a pale red skirt that was swishy and short. She threw the outfit at Sakura, who caught it and looked at Ino with a suspicious gleam in her jade eyes. "Don't worry. He's hot, and you know him."

The only hot boy she could think of would be Sasuke, but she didn't hope much for that.

"Well, go put that on and I'll tell your parents we're going shopping," Ino said, way too cheerfully, and she left the room to talk to said parents. Sakura scowled at her back, closing the door in a snappish matter.

Sakura had had enough of dating and crushes. She was sick of chasing after Sasuke, running from Naruto and Lee, and in the end ending up brokenhearted with no shoulder to cry on.

But, whatever. One date couldn't be much to ask for. After all, if the guy was a jerk, she could just get up and leave, no questions asked. And if it was a good date, well, joy all around.

She changed into the outfit that Ino had picked out, and put some simple, garnet jewelry on to match the skirt. She was just slipping into some sandals when Ino rushed back into the room.

"We're clear!" she informed Sakura, looking excited and scared on turns. "He should be here any minute."

"What'll we say to my parents if they see him?" she asked Ino, squeezing her lips together as she imagined getting the 'talk' in front of Ino, and her _date_.

"Shopping buddy," Ino said casually, "a distant cousin of mine, all the way from Sunagakure." Ino smiled a secretive smile, and Sakura's frown deepened as Ino intentionally let this little clue slip through those lip-glossed lips.

_It's Kankuro, I know it is. She's probably too scared of Gaara to even look at him, so it has to be Kankuro. _Her thoughts came to a halt, and her nose wrinkled. _Ino thinks Kankuro is hot…? I could use this for blackmail._

The doorbell rang, and Ino jumped, her nerves reacting in overdrive.

This was going to be hilarious. Ino smiled smugly as Sakura grabbed her purse, grumbling all the way. Sakura had _no clue_ who she had managed to snatch for her, and what a surprise she was coming in for. A horrible, gut-wrenching surprise.

"Well, go on," Ino commanded, nodding towards the door, still looking smug. "Your knight awaits."

Sakura stuck her tongue out childishly at her fellow kunoichi, then turned and went out the door, not even bothering to say goodbye. As she was going down the stairs, she could see a pale hand through the curtains shielding the window on the door, and she was slightly puzzled. Kankuro always wore those gloves, right? Then who could it be? As the hand rose to knock again, Sakura opened the door before the fist could make contact with the wood, and her mouth nearly fell open at the boy who was standing there, looking just as surprised as she.

Kankuro did not have red hair, pale blue eyes, and that lean, lithe frame that seemed utterly fragile and unreal. Gaara had those attributes, and the sand-controller still had his fist half-raised, knocking on an nonexistent door. Gaara never showed emotion when he had first arrived in Konoha, never even looked at Sakura until he was intent on crushing her. But now, frank shock and discomfort were graced upon his pale features, God knows how many months, years, later. He was now taller than her, gowned in red robes with that heavy-looking gourd strapped around his back. He had grown up into the sort of handsome that was soft but not beautiful, and Sakura grudgingly agreed with Ino's assessment.

"Um," Sakura began, shifting under his stare. "Hey."

"Hello," he replied, that scratchy voice an octave deeper than it was at twelve.

Oh, Sakura would deal with Ino later, and rightly so.

"Uh…" Sakura whispered, titling her head to the side. "Where…where should we go?"

Gaara's brow puckered as he contemplated this. He was never good at romance, much less dating, and the advice Kankuro had given him didn't amount to much here. Never had he even touched a female, other than Temari, but she didn't really count, since he was her brother. Kankuro had had his share of girlfriends, and Temari her boyfriends, but Gaara remained quiet and just watched, observing. After all, who would be stupid enough to love him?

"Wherever you want to go," he said in a quiet voice, unwilling to offer his opinion.

"O…kay," Sakura replied slowly.

While they were walking side-by-side, Sakura deemed it all right to ask the sand-user a few questions.

"So, Gaara-san," Sakura started, glancing at him from the corner of a jade eye. "How…how have you been?"

He glanced at her in return, and those ice-blue eyes made her cheeks flush.

He let a tiny pause ensue before answering, "...fine." He did not respond with a polite "and you?" which Sakura found very rude. She huffed, and said, "Y'know, it's common manners to ask how I'm doing after I ask you!" He looked at her again, face blank but eyes surprised, as he compressed his lips together in a thin line.

No one had ever addressed his lack of communication before--not even Temari. The matter was usually dropped after a simple answer, but this kunoichi wasn't having it. As he looked at her, her green eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed from his stare. He hadn't seen Sakura since he had tried to kill her, so he couldn't understand why she was so intent on conversation. Most people were happy that Gaara was unresponsive. But most people were Haruno Sakura, who was pretty famous for her fiery temper.

"...I find it bothersome to engage in pointless small talk," he told her simply, and her brow furrowed.

"You sound like Shikamaru," she retorted. She turned her face away from Gaara and stared straight ahead, finally dropping the matter. Gaara followed suit until Sakura tapped his shoulder and gestured towards a small teashop that served good tea and good food. Gaara nodded before Sakura could openly suggest they go, and he started towards the teashop with Sakura following behind him. He didn't even bother to hold the door open for her, and she had to catch it before it slammed into her face.

_God, did anyone teach this kid manners?!_ Inner Sakura screeched in her mind, looking outraged. _He's worse than Sasuke!!_

**Shaddup!** Sakura hissed in her mind, though she did agree with her inner self.

Gaara had already aquired a table and was ordering a cup of tea as Sakura was getting seated. The waitress looked a bit frightened in the presence of Sabaku no Gaara, _and rightly so_, Sakura thought, smiling at the waitress and telling her she would like some tea and udon.

While they waited for their food, Sakura tried to start up conversation again.

"So, Gaara-san. How are things in Sunagakure?" Sakura asked.

"Fine," he replied, leaning back into his chair.

"How's the weather?"

Gaara rose a nonexistant eyebrown. "...Hot."

"How are Temari-san and Kankuro-san?"

"Fine."

"..." She paused, staring hard at him. "It would be really nice if you would just talk!" she said, getting angry again. "Why did you even come?"

"I wanted to," he replied truthfully.

"You could have walked away when I opened the door, y'know."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you?!"

"I wanted to see you," he said, and dropped the matter as the waitress put their cups of tea down with soft clinks. Sakura was dumbfounded, as was Inner Sakura, who was being strangely quiet. Sakura picked up her cup and took a sip of tea mechanically. It tasted good, but Sakura wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were on the red-head in front of her, drinking his tea calmly and watching her watch him.

_She's gotten prettier_, Gaara thought, looking at her short, glossy pink hair, and her pale, smooth-looking skin. Her eyes were radiant and expressive, and her lips were as red as cherries.

_Wait...what am I thinking? Since when did I have hormones_? Gaara thought, sipping his tea nonchalantly, wondering over the possibilities_. Hmm... They've been pretty calm until now_.

Right now Sakura wasn't wearing anything that was revealing, but Gaara could still see that Sakura had filled out into the fine curves and lines of a woman, and had passed the awkward stage of adolescence and was finally a young, pretty woman.

His thoughts were halted as Sakura's bowl of Udon was placed in front of her, and he watched slender fingers pick up chopsticks and begin her meal of thick noodles.

"Aren't you hungry?" Sakura inquired, pausing in between bites to glance up at the handsome red-head, who was still watching her calmly.

"No," he replied shortly. "Shukaku allows my body to go without food for a few days. I am fine."

"Oh," she said, silently pleased he had formed a full sentence. "Okay."

Once her bowl of Udon was finished, Sakura pushed the plate away, and glanced out the window. "It's almost sunset," she observed. "Want to go watch it somewhere? I do that a lot."

"All right," he complied, finishing off his tea as she stood. They made their way out of the teashop, paying on the way out, and Sakura lead Gaara to a small park with Sakura trees that she liked to sit, when she was sad or tired after training. "...pretty," Gaara said absentmindedly, though he was looking at her. She blushed.

"Yeah," she agreed, sitting down on a bench. "I come here often."

He sat down next to her, and they watched the sunset silently for a few moments, until Gaara broke the silence with strangely sincere words.

"Thank you."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What?"

"Thank you," he repeated, turning to face her. "For not hating me."

Sakura was once again put into a dumbfounded silence. Boys really_ were_ unpredictable. Since when did Gaara express thanks to anybody?!

"Um," she said intelligently. "Gaara?"

He looked at her.

"What made you think I hated you?"

"I nearly killed you," he said, his voice soft.

"That's the life of a shinobi," she said bluntly.

"No," he shook his head, "I nearly killed you and your friends. The Uchiha and Naruto. You should hate me."

"First you're thanking me for not hating you, and now you say I should?!" she snapped.

"It would be safest," he said, turning away and staring at the sunset. Red like cherries...like her lips.

"I don't care!"

Her vehement words made him turn around again, and he saw that she was angry again, her hands palm down on the bench between them. "I don't hate you, and you better get over it fast. 'Cause I'm not going to sit around here and wait for you to realize that you're not some stupid monster hell-bent on killing everything and that everyone doesn't hate you and--"

She was cut off by a soft handing landing on hers.

She looked down, surprised to see his pale hand on hers, and then snapped her head up to look at him. He was looking down at their hands, his blue eyes hard like ice.

"I don't want you to hate me.

"But it's the safest thing for you."

His words were spoken calmly.

"I don't give a damn what's safe for me!" she snapped. "I'm a real kunoichi now, and I know how to handle myself--"

"I could kill you."

His words stopped her again.

"You really don't understand how breakable you are."

"Everyone can be broken," she told him. "It doesn't matter."

He remained silent, his hand staying on hers as he looked back to the sunset.

Sabaku no Gaara didn't care who lived or died. Why should he?

...Because there was something else to live for besides death.

--

_Ta da!_

_This story makes me wonder how old I am sometimes. _

_Review please. I lurve you ;o;_


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